You hate running because you are doing it wrong

I am on track to run 2,000+ miles this year running daily. Most people think running is misery and yet it is one of my greatest joys. Am I a sadist or are they just doing it wrong? Let's discuss the mistakes I see every runner make and how to build a sustainable practice that actually delivers the promised physical and mental benefits without injury.

The universal mistake

The most common mistake that nearly every runner makes is running too fast. Counterintuitively, you must slow down to speed up. The only way to get faster is to run consistently. The only way to run consistently is to run sustainably.

In running, there are easy and hard efforts.

Effort levels map to race pace and heart rate. For example, you could do a run at a 5k race pace, which means you run at the effort you can sustain for 3.1 miles. I purposely use the word effort and not pace. Pace changes depending on your mileage load, sleep quality, nutrition, hydration, stress, temperature, elevation, altitude and even shoe type. The pace you can maintain for a 5k after a week of high mileage, on six hours of sleep, in 90 degree heat in Denver is very different than the pace you can run at sea level, 40 degrees, and fully rested.

If you're curious about the science: efforts map to heart rate zones 1-5, with zones 1-2 being "easy" and 3-5 progressively harder. There are a number of calculators you can use to estimate your heart rate zones.

An easy effort is the pace you can run while having a conversation with another person. If you are running alone, say the entire pledge of allegiance out loud (or your favorite Shakespearean monologue). Ask yourself, is this easy? If so, you are running at an easy effort. If not, you are not running at an easy effort. If you aren't sure or can't really tell, you are not running at an easy effort.

Science made simple

The best professional runners subscribe to an 80:20 training ratio. Eighty percent of their miles are spent comfortably, dully, even, in zone 1 and 2 efforts. Only twenty percent of the miles are run at harder efforts. To be clear, this is a ceiling. In reality, only at the peak of a training cycle will athletes top out at 20% speed work. Some of this changes with age and experience. Younger runners tend to be more resilient in the face of higher intensity training, but still should not exceed that magic ratio.

To be clear, if you are just starting your running journey or not yet running 30 miles per week consistently, I would not recommend any hard effort running. There are enough gains to be made just running easy. Get the low hanging fruit while you can!

Eliud Kipchoge is arguably the greatest marathoner of all time. When Kipchoge goes out for a jog, he will run at 8:30 minutes per mile. His heart rate is in zone 1. He can carry on a comfortable conversation at this effort. His marathon pace is around 4:35 minutes per mile. In other words he can run one mile in four minutes and thirty five seconds 26.2 times in a row without stopping. Do not get distracted by the superhuman absurdity of this feat. Instead, notice that his jogging pace is nearly twice as slow as his marathon pace.

Now compare this to typical recreational runners. The average marathon time in the US is something like 4 hours and 14 minutes for men and 4 hours 41 minutes for women. That's a 9:42 and 10:43 minutes per mile pace. Unlike Kipchoge who essentially runs 80% of his mileage at nearly 100% slower than his actual marathon pace, many recreational runners do all their training at marathon pace or faster.

Kipchoge vs Avg runners

Marathon pace is not an easy effort. Even for experienced runners, marathon pace quickly moves from zone 2 into zones 3 and 4 as the race progresses. So when typical runners do all their training at marathon pace or faster, they're essentially always running at a hard effort - violating the 80:20 rule.

When a runner exceeds the 80:20 ratio, which most typical runners do out of ignorance, a few negative consequences will occur. In new runners whose tendons and secondary muscles are not used to the sport, the result is most often injury. Some of the common injuries are shin splints (pain on the shins), plantar fasciitis (pain in the arch of the foot), and tendonitis.

Apart from these wear and tear injuries runners who go too fast often experience overtraining. While they may be running more, their bodies are actually getting weaker because of insufficient recovery between tough efforts. Symptoms of overtraining include heavy legs, inability to sleep, fatigue, and a weakened immune system which can lead to illness.

Commonly new runners run at a difficult effort and find they do not enjoy the activity. This makes sense because running at a hard effort is uncomfortable. As a result many new runners conclude that they do not enjoy running, whereas they probably just do not enjoy running too fast for too long.

Why do people make the mistake of running too fast? Running fast can be fun. If you don't run a lot, you might find yourself reaching for a workout to make up for imaginary lost ground. It also takes practice and patience to find your true easy effort. Many runners simply do not have a realistic assessment of their fitness levels.

Too much of a good thing

In addition to running too fast, new and experienced runners alike will often make the mistake of running too much. This is a tough one for me because there aren't too many activities I'd rather be doing than going for a run. But like anything else, too much of a good thing turns into a bad thing. A good heuristic is to never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% from the previous week. If you run 10 miles this week, next week you should not run more than 11 miles.

In my own running practice, and keep in mind I've been running seriously for almost twenty years, I've cut back my mileage and effort levels this spring. Instead of running fifty miles a week, I run 40-45. During these weeks I typically will run 4-6 miles or 10-15% of my total weekly mileage at a hard effort in zone 3 or above. Every fourth week I take a break and drop down to 30 miles to consolidate my fitness gains and recover. I run seven days a week, but that typically includes one or two days with a 1 mile run at a very easy effort. Believe it or not, these 1 mile jogs I find help with my recovery by promoting blood circulation.

Getting started

To get started, go out and jog. It could be for a block, five minutes, or a mile. If you can't jog, try a brisk walk or even a slow walk. That's it.

Week 1: Jog for 20 minutes, 3 times. Can't jog? Walk briskly. Too easy? Still stick to 20 minutes—remember, we're building habits, not racing. Your easy pace might be 2-3 minutes per mile slower than your 5K race pace. If you can race a 5K at 10-minute miles, your easy runs should be around 12-13 minute miles.

If you aren't sure, I will help you. I can help you design a training program or find you a coach. Seriously, just reach out.

Get running shoes and track your runs (a phone app works fine). Everything else is optional.

Remember: most running injuries and burnout come from running too fast, too often. Start slow, build gradually, and enjoy the process. The speed will come.